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Girls football brings MIKTA communities together

Football’s ability to unite across gender and culture will be on full display as young Australian girls, from a range of countries and backgrounds, join together to improve their skills and meet the Westfield Matildas, Australia’s national female football team.

The girls will be mentored by members of the Westfield Matildas who are in the final stages of preparation for their Rio Games campaign.

Australia is chairing MIKTA in 2016, and to celebrate this milestone, the girls joining the Westfield Matildas will be drawn from diverse backgrounds including Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Turkey and Australia.

MIKTA is an innovative new grouping led by Foreign Ministers. It brings these five influential but diverse countries together to work to advance the common interests of the international community.

FFA’s Head of International and Government Relations, Mark Falvo said “FFA is delighted to celebrate MIKTA through football – the common passion of these communities.

“Football is a genuine facilitator of unity across gender, culture and age all over the globe and this is the perfect illustration of the power of football.”

The Westfield Matildas will put the MIKTA community girls through the AIA Vitality MiniRoos for Girls program, training them in core football skills in a tailored, positive environment. “Our MiniRoos for Girls program is designed to provide a fun introductory experience and develop the skills of the next generation of Matildas who will come from a diverse range of backgrounds.” Mr Falvo said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in partnership with Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Red Elephant Projects are hosting the events in Sydney and Canberra for girls aged 5-12 from MIKTA communities.